behemolari
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GDT: Exhibition • Dec. 21 • Finland vs. Russia • 7:00 PM ET
- Thread starter Systemfel
- Start date
FinPanda
Barkov Stanley cup champ!
Too2train
Registered User
- Nov 28, 2011
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Very entertaining game. Thoughts on a couple players;
Hintz was a nice surprise. Was able to make some nice passes and was effecient at creating space for linemates.
Raantanen (sp) and Puljujarvi (sp) were even more impressive. Big boys who can skate and move the puck well. Raantanen is the faster of the two but deffiantly more raw. Where as jesse, seems polished in all three zones, when he was out it seemed as though he was covering multiple lanes making hard for the russians to break out.
Lehkonen was also buzzing. Showed off his shot and wasnt afraid to bang some bodies. Plays well with the C.
For the russians, I understand the hype with Provorov. If he had a maple leaf on at this tournament, it would open a lot of eyes. He is so poised, knows when to play the body vs making the easy stick check. Decent breakout passes, smooth skating. Very sound on the D side of things.
Kamanev started right where he left off on friday, felt as though he was just always on the right spot. Did fairly well on the Dot as well. Another big bodied fella who can also skate with some offensive flair. Really liking that pick.
Tolchinsky was buzzing as well. Great speed and hands, has that Johnny G ability, verrry slippery hard to catch player. Will certainly be following his development.
Other skaters that impressed me, Kraskovsky, Paigin, Lintuniemi.
Saaros and Shesh looked solid as well.
Just comments for anyone interested
Excellent game.
Hintz was a nice surprise. Was able to make some nice passes and was effecient at creating space for linemates.
Raantanen (sp) and Puljujarvi (sp) were even more impressive. Big boys who can skate and move the puck well. Raantanen is the faster of the two but deffiantly more raw. Where as jesse, seems polished in all three zones, when he was out it seemed as though he was covering multiple lanes making hard for the russians to break out.
Lehkonen was also buzzing. Showed off his shot and wasnt afraid to bang some bodies. Plays well with the C.
For the russians, I understand the hype with Provorov. If he had a maple leaf on at this tournament, it would open a lot of eyes. He is so poised, knows when to play the body vs making the easy stick check. Decent breakout passes, smooth skating. Very sound on the D side of things.
Kamanev started right where he left off on friday, felt as though he was just always on the right spot. Did fairly well on the Dot as well. Another big bodied fella who can also skate with some offensive flair. Really liking that pick.
Tolchinsky was buzzing as well. Great speed and hands, has that Johnny G ability, verrry slippery hard to catch player. Will certainly be following his development.
Other skaters that impressed me, Kraskovsky, Paigin, Lintuniemi.
Saaros and Shesh looked solid as well.
Just comments for anyone interested
Excellent game.
FinPanda
Barkov Stanley cup champ!
Thank you very much! Do you know/or anyone here know who had the assists on Finland's goals?
Too2train
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- Nov 28, 2011
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Couldnt really hear the PA after finland scored.
Canada4Gold
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- Dec 22, 2010
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Expect a very competitive tournament and the exhibition games showing that as well, Russia/Canada, Finland/Russia, Finland/Czechs all go past regulation, Slovakia/Swiss game was close, looking forward to watching Denmark play
Last edited:
First Blood
The Greiss Is Right!
Too2train
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- Nov 28, 2011
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Not a fan of pumping so much tires after one game for any prospect or any professional player for that matter, so I hope it doesn't come off that way but I forgot to mention this in my previous post. To me, Buchnevich was the best player on the ice tonight. He was creating chances for himself and his team mates with IQ, fast skating as well as physical play. But yknow, jusse saros being jusse saros, was incredible for the most part.
You could tell Buch was used to the bigger ice surface, although I dont think it will take him very long to adjust, especially in the WJC. Looking forward to see how he does in this tournament and the future!
Barbashev was also solid tonight. Could go in depth, but im sure you all get the idea! All situations guy, good frame and excellent IQ. Making other teams look stupid yadda yadda ..
. seriously though, guys gonna carve out an excellent career imo.
You could tell Buch was used to the bigger ice surface, although I dont think it will take him very long to adjust, especially in the WJC. Looking forward to see how he does in this tournament and the future!
Barbashev was also solid tonight. Could go in depth, but im sure you all get the idea! All situations guy, good frame and excellent IQ. Making other teams look stupid yadda yadda ..
. seriously though, guys gonna carve out an excellent career imo.
kelsier
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- Aug 17, 2013
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Glad to hear both playing well. While I didn't watch the game so can't comment solely on it. However Puljujärvi is faster skater than Rantanen and it's not even close, not even while being one year younger. Odd if someone got impression otherwise. On the other hand, happy to hear Rantanen has improved his skates cause last year it was his biggest flaw. Puljujärvi is just explosive as hell. Think he will be a dark horse this tournament. Too bad for the kid the right wing is more stacked than it's even been this far so he will have to settle for 3rd line ice time and propably limited PP role.
I was at the game as well and just wanted to add my two cents. One thing to note was that Kasperi Kapanen didn’t play, so the lines in this game likely won’t be identical to Finland’s final entry. The first power play unit was:
Aho Hintz Kalapudas
Puljujarvi Lyytinen
I mostly paid attention to Finnish players, so here’s my summary:
The Bad:
Julius Vahatalo. Keeping in mind the fact that this is the first time I’ve ever seen him play, if tonight is any indication, he has no business being on this team. Despite his massive size, he seemed to always find ways to lose physical battles. He played like his hands were made of stone and his hockey sense was just as bad. If there was a way to do something wrong he found it. Particularly alarming was the large amount of ice time that he received. He spent the entire game as Lekhonen’s centre, and while Lehkonen still found a way to be effective, putting him on a line with such an awful player is a massive waste of his talents.
Joonas Lyytinen’s skating: While he was for the most part a good skater, there were at least three times when he fell at particularly bad times. The first time, he fell while skating across the Russian blue line during a Finnish powerplay, resulting in Finland losing the zone. The second was along the Finnish blue line during a Russian rush, resulting in a excellent chance that Saaros saved, and finally he blew a tire at centre ice, resulting in another Russian rush. There seemed to be a fair amount of this for both teams, so there may well have been ice quality issues at the GM centre, but Lyytinen seemed to be falling down a lot.
Finland’s Defence: In general Finland’s D seemed to have trouble moving the puck up, either by passing or skating it up, especially during the first half of the first period. As a result the Finnish forwards seemed reluctant to fully use their speed for fear of getting too far ahead. This was in stark contrast to the Russian D, who made many excellent stretch passes during the first period, and in general seemed quite capable of moving the puck up the ice, letting their forwards get into better positions for zone entry.
The Okay
Sami Niku had a quietly competent game. He didn’t really do anything that stood out and grabbed your attention, but if you watched him long enough, he consistently made good decisions, with and without the puck.
The Good:
Roope Hintz: Even though he didn’t show up on the score sheet, he was by far the best player on team Finland. In fact, I’d go so far as to say he had the best all-round game of any player on the ice. Big, fast, excellent hands, superb decision-making, always found a way to be in the right place at the right time. I’d say he was the hardest-working player on team Finland, both offensively and defensively. If he plays like this consistently during the next couple of weeks, he will be taken in the first round, no question in my mind.
Puljujarvi-Kalapudas-Aho: As a unit, they were Team Finland’s best line. I wouldn’t say that one player carried the others, they all deserved to be there. Aho in particular was speedy and consistently found a way to be effective despite his size disadvantages and the physical punishment he received (he was on the receiving end of a particularly nasty unpenalized elbow to the head in the first period, but seemed no worse for wear). The line was as effective on defence as offense. My one criticism would be that Puljujarvi could sometimes make more of an effort to get back on defense, especially given his speed. Also, there were times when he would skate around while in his own zone, when it would arguably been better for him to stay in one place. In terms of pressuring puck carriers and channelling them into certain areas of the ice, though, Chitown is right, he was excellent. I would have liked him to shoot more when playing point on the powerplay, but that criticism could be directed at the whole of team Finland. In the end, he was one of the better players on the ice despite being the youngest by far. He may not dominate this tournament, but he seems like a truly special player.
Artturi Lehkonen: He seemed quite quiet and invisible during the first half of the first period, but he seemed more at ease after that, and after scoring Finland’s first goal in the second, he was excellent, despite his terrible centre. Rather than just get shots, he was also great defensively, breaking up many Russian plays and even threw some hits.
I wouldn’t say that either side outright deserved to win the game tonight. In the end, I’d say Russia had more dangerous chances despite the shot clock being close for both teams. In summary, Russia was better (but not dominant) during the first period. In particular their D managed a lot of excellent stretch passes that resulted in a lot of dangerous chances. However, this really only worked for the first 10-15 minutes of the game, after which Finland adapted and Russia could no longer make these passes work. Finland was better during the second period and the first ten minutes of the third. In particular they managed to get their cycle game going in a way they hadn’t in the first. Russia finally fought back and after some sustained pressure in the third during two power plays, tied it up. They carried this momentum and dominated the OT, but they looked totally lost during the shootout.
I’ll agree with Chitown that Buchnevich was excellent for most of the game, but if I were a Russian fan, I’d be a bit worried about his composure level. He seemed to get more and more agitated during the course of the game, particularly with regards to the officiating. While the officiating definitely left something to be desired, it cut both ways, so neither team gained any advantage from it. Buchnevich spent a lot of time complaining to the officials, and there were times in the third period when he appeared borderline apoplectic on the bench. This in itself isn’t a terrible flaw in a player, especially at this age, but I can’t help but wonder whether his mental state caused him to uncharacteristically flub the game-deciding shootout attempt.
Aho Hintz Kalapudas
Puljujarvi Lyytinen
I mostly paid attention to Finnish players, so here’s my summary:
The Bad:
Julius Vahatalo. Keeping in mind the fact that this is the first time I’ve ever seen him play, if tonight is any indication, he has no business being on this team. Despite his massive size, he seemed to always find ways to lose physical battles. He played like his hands were made of stone and his hockey sense was just as bad. If there was a way to do something wrong he found it. Particularly alarming was the large amount of ice time that he received. He spent the entire game as Lekhonen’s centre, and while Lehkonen still found a way to be effective, putting him on a line with such an awful player is a massive waste of his talents.
Joonas Lyytinen’s skating: While he was for the most part a good skater, there were at least three times when he fell at particularly bad times. The first time, he fell while skating across the Russian blue line during a Finnish powerplay, resulting in Finland losing the zone. The second was along the Finnish blue line during a Russian rush, resulting in a excellent chance that Saaros saved, and finally he blew a tire at centre ice, resulting in another Russian rush. There seemed to be a fair amount of this for both teams, so there may well have been ice quality issues at the GM centre, but Lyytinen seemed to be falling down a lot.
Finland’s Defence: In general Finland’s D seemed to have trouble moving the puck up, either by passing or skating it up, especially during the first half of the first period. As a result the Finnish forwards seemed reluctant to fully use their speed for fear of getting too far ahead. This was in stark contrast to the Russian D, who made many excellent stretch passes during the first period, and in general seemed quite capable of moving the puck up the ice, letting their forwards get into better positions for zone entry.
The Okay
Sami Niku had a quietly competent game. He didn’t really do anything that stood out and grabbed your attention, but if you watched him long enough, he consistently made good decisions, with and without the puck.
The Good:
Roope Hintz: Even though he didn’t show up on the score sheet, he was by far the best player on team Finland. In fact, I’d go so far as to say he had the best all-round game of any player on the ice. Big, fast, excellent hands, superb decision-making, always found a way to be in the right place at the right time. I’d say he was the hardest-working player on team Finland, both offensively and defensively. If he plays like this consistently during the next couple of weeks, he will be taken in the first round, no question in my mind.
Puljujarvi-Kalapudas-Aho: As a unit, they were Team Finland’s best line. I wouldn’t say that one player carried the others, they all deserved to be there. Aho in particular was speedy and consistently found a way to be effective despite his size disadvantages and the physical punishment he received (he was on the receiving end of a particularly nasty unpenalized elbow to the head in the first period, but seemed no worse for wear). The line was as effective on defence as offense. My one criticism would be that Puljujarvi could sometimes make more of an effort to get back on defense, especially given his speed. Also, there were times when he would skate around while in his own zone, when it would arguably been better for him to stay in one place. In terms of pressuring puck carriers and channelling them into certain areas of the ice, though, Chitown is right, he was excellent. I would have liked him to shoot more when playing point on the powerplay, but that criticism could be directed at the whole of team Finland. In the end, he was one of the better players on the ice despite being the youngest by far. He may not dominate this tournament, but he seems like a truly special player.
Artturi Lehkonen: He seemed quite quiet and invisible during the first half of the first period, but he seemed more at ease after that, and after scoring Finland’s first goal in the second, he was excellent, despite his terrible centre. Rather than just get shots, he was also great defensively, breaking up many Russian plays and even threw some hits.
I wouldn’t say that either side outright deserved to win the game tonight. In the end, I’d say Russia had more dangerous chances despite the shot clock being close for both teams. In summary, Russia was better (but not dominant) during the first period. In particular their D managed a lot of excellent stretch passes that resulted in a lot of dangerous chances. However, this really only worked for the first 10-15 minutes of the game, after which Finland adapted and Russia could no longer make these passes work. Finland was better during the second period and the first ten minutes of the third. In particular they managed to get their cycle game going in a way they hadn’t in the first. Russia finally fought back and after some sustained pressure in the third during two power plays, tied it up. They carried this momentum and dominated the OT, but they looked totally lost during the shootout.
I’ll agree with Chitown that Buchnevich was excellent for most of the game, but if I were a Russian fan, I’d be a bit worried about his composure level. He seemed to get more and more agitated during the course of the game, particularly with regards to the officiating. While the officiating definitely left something to be desired, it cut both ways, so neither team gained any advantage from it. Buchnevich spent a lot of time complaining to the officials, and there were times in the third period when he appeared borderline apoplectic on the bench. This in itself isn’t a terrible flaw in a player, especially at this age, but I can’t help but wonder whether his mental state caused him to uncharacteristically flub the game-deciding shootout attempt.
^Thanks for the report. How did Ikonen and Rantanen play, did they have any chemistry with Hintz?
First Blood
The Greiss Is Right!
Thank you
Question to people following team Russia. Who has the better chance of grabbing the starting job for the tournament, Sorokin or Shestyorkin?
Well, as you probably know, they are pretty even. I think Sorokin was a little better based on the two exhibition games, but that is just my opinion. It all depends on what Bragin sees and who he likes better.
But really, I don't think you can go wrong with either goaltender.
FinPanda
Barkov Stanley cup champ!
Thanks for the report!
Great to hear Roope Hintz was great. He has been really good in FEL too.
And yes, Finland's D is horrible. Thank god Honka is coming. The team really will miss Joni Tuulola, who is injured.
Thanks for sharing your observations. From what I've seen Vähätalo has looked a bit out of shape lately, the pre-season concussion and whatnot seem to have taken its toll. Just my opinion, but I don't think Hintz has what it takes to be a first rounder.
Periwinkle
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- Apr 3, 2014
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BusQuets
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- Jul 16, 2010
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Why do you think that? He is pretty similar player to Rantanen who is probably going to be 1st rounder..
I don't think they are that similar. Rantanen's vision, creativity, passing and tools for physical play are of higher quality. Hintz has better wheels, but that's the only aspect of the game where I think he has a clear advantage over Rantanen.
For me personally Rantanen is by far the best Finnish prospect in this year's draft, whereas Hintz is following a step or two behind with guys like Tuulola, Niku and Nättinen.
New York RKY
Let's Go Rangers!
Glad to hear Buch looked good overall. Excited to finally see him play live here shortly. Thanks for the reports!
BusQuets
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- Jul 16, 2010
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Are you sure you're not underrating Hintz here. He has improved a lot in this season.
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